Mr Petre Albu has been appointed head of the secret service of the Ministry of Interior. Nominated by Minister of Interior Cristian David, Mr Albu was working as a civilian in the National Anti-drugs Agency. Mr Albu replaces Virgil Ardelean, who was in the position for more than ten years, and resigned from the position last summer along with the other two heads of secret services over the vanishing of Romania’s most wanted man, Omar Hayssam, but Prime Minister Tariceanu refused to approve his resignation. After the new Government was sworn in, Ardelean tried his luck again and this time Tariceanu let him go. Albu established the Romanian Police Force’s Department Against Organised Crime in 1993, which he managed until 2001. He was sacked by the Social Democratic (PSD) Government’s Minister of Interior, Ioan Rus, because of a scandal involving the disappearance of two tonnes of heroin from the Police storage. After an investigation, Mr Albu was cleared.

Mr Valeriu Turcan has been reappointed as spokesman of the Presidential Administration, following the return of Traian Basescu to power. The former journalist has worked as a producer for the BBC, a counsellor for Prime Minister Tariceanu and, between 2005 and 2006, was president of the Agency for Governmental Strategies. He studied at the University of Bucharest and has an MA in communication from Leeds University, UK. He is married to Liberal Democratic Party (PLD) deputy, Raluca Turcan.

Mr Ilie Banica, 38, is the new spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since 2004, Mr Banica has been a first secretary (politics) in the Embassy of Romania in The Hague. He was also the director of the Ministry’s Information and Public Relations Department between 2002 and 2003. Mr Banica has also been press attache at the Romanian Embassy in Brussels. A former journalist, Mr Banica was editor and presenter on TV station Antena 1 between 1993 and 1995 and is a graduate in Letters and History from the Craiova University and Ecole Nationale d’Administration, Strasbourg. He replaces Mrs Corina Vintan, who resigned in May.

Mr Kurt Leitner, 40, is the new CEO of Porsche Leasing, replacing Mr Peter Demmer. An Austrian national, Mr Leitner has 19 years of experience in the Porsche Group and, before coming to Romania, was director at Porsche Leasing Serbia and Montenegro for three years. Mr Leitner has vast experience in car sales and was in charge of Skoda’s distribution network in Austria between 2001 and 2004.

Mr Dan Vlaicu, 31, has been appointed as the new president of the National Authority for Consumer’s Protection (ANPC). Former president Marian Zlotea, a member of the Democratic Party (PD), decided to leave along with all the other PD members who left top Government-appointed positions. Mr Vlaicu is the deputy general secretary of the National Liberal Party. Since 2004 he was the personal counsellor of the Minister Delegate for Relations with the Parliament.

Mr Eugen Mitea, 40, the president of the National Liberal Party (PNL) branch in Sibiu and deputy mayor of the city, has been appointed general director of the state company for transporting natural gas, Transgaz Medias. Minister of Economy and Finance Varujan Vosganian decided Mitea should replace Florin Muntean, a member of the Democratic Party. “I don’t intend to change any director in the company for the moment, because we believe that we are a team and we have to work together,” Mitea said.

Mr Radu Gratian Ghetea has been appointed as president of state-owned Savings Bank -  CEC. Prior to this position, he was non-executive president of the board of Alpha Bank Romania. Mr Ghetea also acts as president of Romania’s Banking Association (ARB).

Mr Mihai Tanasescu, Romania’s former Finance Minister has resigned from the post of vice president of the opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) to take over the position of senior adviser with the International Monetary Fund. Mr Tanasescu will replace Lucian Croitoru as senior adviser to IMF Executive Director Age F.P. Bakker, who manages Romania, Armenia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Croatia, Macedonia, Cyprus, Georgia, Israel and Ukraine.

Democratic Party (PD) member Mr Gheorghe Dobre, 58, has been appointed deputy general secretary of the new Ministry of Development, Public Works and Housing. Mr Dobre held the same position in the former Ministry of European Integration until September 2006. From January 2005 until June 2006, he was the Minister for Transport, Construction and Tourism.

Mr Radu Roatis Chetan, 42, is the new president of Romania’s National Sanitary-Veterinary and Food Safety Directorate.